Personal History
by cyberimp6
Summary: After Showing Restraint, Ayeka agrees to teach Ryoko. Naturally, there are unexpected problems . . .
1. An Unquiet Night

Disclaimer: Characters and concepts from "Tenchi Muyo!" were created by Kajishima Masaki and Hitoshi Okuda, and are Copyright AIC and Pioneer LDC. This work is a parody and not to be used for any commercial purposes.

Foreword: This story is a sequel for "Showing Restraint", especially Part II.

**Personal History**

". . . Ryoko . . . oh, Ryoko . . ." The voice calling her name was not loud, but it seemed to penetrate her entire being.

"Who . . . ?" Ryoko couldn't seem to make out who the voice belonged to. In fact, she couldn't remember where exactly she was.

" . . . I found something for you . . ." Now the voice was in a specific place, at least. Close behind her. " . . . Something just for you . . ."

Ryoko turned around. Somehow she wasn't able to move as fast as usual. But there was no delay in recognizing the figure that stood there. "Ayeka?"

The princess had a big smile on her face, oddly like one of Mihoshi's expressions. "Look at these, Ryoko . . Aren't they pretty?" She brought out a handful of strings, colored cyan to match Ryoko's hair.

"I guess so." Ryoko felt even more uneasy now. "But what do I do with them?"

"I don't know, but they must go somewhere." Ayeka kept smiling. "Maybe Kagato made them for you."

A small trap door flew open on each of Ryoko's wrists, revealing little metal rings underneath. Ryoko stared in shock. Ayeka opened her hands, and two of the strings flew like lightning and fastened themselves to the rings. Ryoko tried to pull back, but suddenly her arms wouldn't respond to her.

"See -- I knew it." Ayeka said approvingly.

Ryoko felt another pair of trap doors opening at her ankles. Again, two strings seemed to leap from Ayeka's hands and attach themselves to the rings. Now the far ends of all four strings floated up towards the ceiling. To Ryoko's horror, her legs and arms began moving of their own accord, and she marched over to a closet door. A closet she had never noticed before. Her hand opened the door of its own volition, and Ryoko found herself looking at a maid's uniform, complete with lace apron. "This can't be happ--" Ryoko began, and then she felt a fifth compartment opening at the back of her neck. Immediately the final string attached itself, and her mouth snapped closed. Now her arms reached in to pull the maid's outfit off of the hanger. In spite of furious efforts to regain control, in a few minutes she was dressed in it.

"Oh, look, Lord Tenchi!" Ayeka exclaimed. Ryoko tried to teleport so that Tenchi wouldn't see her like that, but it was useless. Instead she found herself slowly turning around, and then giving a deep bow to Tenchi and Ayeka.

"Say -- that outfit fits as if it were made for her." Tenchi commented.

"I imagine it was." Ayeka said thoughtfully.

"I guess this means she was just a marionette all along." said Tenchi.

Ryoko's eyes widened, and she tried to deny it, but she couldn't even shake her head. Her arms reached into the closet again, and bought out a brush and a bucket. Now the strings on her legs began to pull, and Ryoko found herself going to the closet door under the stairs.

"You know, I was going to have a picnic lunch by the lake today," said Tenchi, "but it looks like Ryoko is going to be busy for some time. Would you like to join me, Miss Ayeka? There's something -- important -- I'd like to talk about."

"I would love to, Lord Tenchi." Said Ayeka.

Ryoko caught the thrill in the princess' voice. She tried furiously to break away, but her legs carried her through the closet door into Washu's lab.

The redheaded genius looked up at the sound of Ryoko's entrance, and broke into a broad smile at the maid's outfit. "So you've finally decided to help your mommy out!" Washu exclaimed. "That's just great -- I have so many specimen cells that need cleaning."

Ryoko found herself turning to where Washu was pointing. A corridor seemed to stretch into endless distance, lined on each side by countless metal cages and glass tanks. And each was crusted or begrimed with some form of foul-smelling ooze or scum. As her hands took the brush out of the bucket and went towards the first cage, she made one last frantic effort to yell that it was all wrong . . .

- - - - - - - -

Ayeka stepped back for a short break. Ryoko was almost finished, and a beautiful job at that. Lord Tenchi would be so pleased. Of course, it had been necessary to turn Ryoko into stone to do the fine detail work, but Ayeka would turn her back as soon as she was done.

All in all, the ex-space-pirate made a lovely shrine maiden. Ayeka had styled the hair and put on a simple yet elegant robe. But that cocky grin looked wrong. Taking up her tools again, Ayeka re-shaped the mouth until the expression was calm and serene.

There was one last thing to be done, Ayeka saw. Ryoko's hands were in front of her and palms together, in the attitude of a shrine prayer. However, the fingernails were too long. In fact, they looked much like claws. Ayeka picked up her hammer and chisel, and easily knocked off the unsightly extensions. She was just putting down her tools and reaching for a file to add the finishing touches, when there was a peculiar sound like wood scraping on stone. She turned back to the statue. To her surprise, Ryoko's fingernails had grown back to their original length.

Ayeka gave an annoyed frown. She seized the hammer and chisel again, and trimmed the offending fingernails to the proper length. She stared at Ryoko's hands for several moments, as if daring the nails to grow again. When nothing happened, she turned away to get the file.

The sound came again, even louder this time. Ayeka spun around to see that the dangerous-looking nails were back, and twice as long as before. To Ayeka's horror, they now weighed enough to unbalance the statue, and Ryoko toppled forward. Ayeka reached desperately, trying to stop the fall, but she was a fraction too late. Ryoko's form struck the floor and shattered into pieces.

"How could you!" Sasami's wail sounded a moment later. "How could you smash sister Ryoko? I hate you, Ayeka!"

"No, Sasami, it was an accident!" Ayeka protested.

"Liar!" Sasami shouted. "Your arms are still up from pushing her!"

Ayeka saw that her arms were still outstretched after her attempt to save Ryoko. "But -- but --" she tried to explain.

"Nooo!" Tenchi's cry interrupted the princess. "Ayeka, what have you done?" Ayeka turned to him, but before she could say a word, he burst out, "You knew I loved Ryoko, and not you! That's why you did this, isn't it?"

Ayeka's blood seemed to turn to ice. She lost the power of speech.

"What's going on here?" Washu demanded.

"Ayeka smashed sister Ryoko!" Sasami cried. Ayeka could only feebly shake her head.

"Can you restore Ryoko?" Tenchi implored Washu. "Please -- I can't imagine marrying anyone else." Now Ayeka felt as if she, too, had been turned to stone.

"I think I can," Washu replied, turning to glare at Ayeka, "but there's an important matter I want to take care of first."

"You may leave that matter to me." Now Princess Seto had appeared on the scene, and her voice was as cold as a winter wind. "You found a very poor way to disobey my instructions, Ayeka." Ayeka tried frantically to explain, but her mouth refused to move.

"Don't bother with any feeble excuses. They will only make things worse for you -- assuming that is possible." The Devil Princess of Jurai raised her fan and gestured toward Ayeka.

A powerful blast of wind came forth, and picked Ayeka up off her feet. It carried her away from the others, turning her so that she couldn't see them. But she saw the dark vortex opening up ahead of her. As she was swept into its maw, Ayeka tried desperately to open her mouth for one last cry for mercy . . .

- - - - - - - -

"YAAAAHHH!!" The twin screams rang through the Masaki house. Sasami sat bolt upright in her futon, but in spite of the moving target Ryo-Ohki managed to leap on top of the young princess' head. Tenchi came out of his bed with a practiced leap, having experienced a number of nighttime disturbances before. He snatched up his sword, flung open his bedroom door, and then paused, remembering that screams had come from both left and right. Nobuyuki grabbed for his glasses and put them on, muttering that he needed an apartment in the city if he wanted to be sure of a good night's sleep. Washu darted out of her lab, heading for Ryoko's room but wondering about the second scream.

Ayeka's eyes slowly focused. She found herself looking into two pairs of eyes, one pink and one black, both wide open and staring back at her. "Big sister?" Sasami said anxiously. "What's wrong?"

"Oh. . . Umm . . . I had a nightmare." Ayeka remembered that Sasami never liked it when she and Ryoko fought. She hoped Sasami wouldn't ask what her nightmare had been about.

"What was it about?" asked Sasami.

"Well . . . I . . . that is. . . " Fortunately Ayeka's brain started working at this point. "I dreamed that I made Grandmother angry, and she was going to punish me."

Sasami shuddered. "That IS scary!"

Ayeka got up and went to the closet for a robe to put over her nightgown. "I'm going to stay up for a little while, but you should get some rest, Sasami."

Meanwhile, Washu had reached Ryoko's room. "What's going on, Ryoko?"

Ryoko was still breathing heavily, but getting herself back under control. "Bad dream. It was a doozy -- but I'll be okay."

"Could you open the link?" Washu requested. "Maybe some memories from Zero are surfacing."

"Nope, that's not it." Ryoko shook her head, and then realized something. "You just want to get into my head to see what Ayeka's been teaching me, don't you?"

"Well, how else am I --" Washu shifted gears. " -- I mean, no, I worry about you, Ryoko."

"Nice try." Ryoko floated over to her closet, took out her dress with the prosthetic tail, threw it into the air over her head, and phased into it as it floated down.

Just outside his bedroom doorway, Tenchi heard the situation begin to calm down on both sides. He sighed in relief. He didn't want to go into Ryoko's bedroom, since he knew the ex-space-pirate slept _au naturel_, and he didn't want to deal with a nosebleed in the middle of the night. Ayeka's bedroom was also a problem, as he remembered vividly what had happened the time when he had sneaked into her chambers aboard the Ryu-Oh. That reminded him that he was holding the sword with its two gems. He went back into his room to put it away; whatever the problem was this time, it wouldn't need to be cut.

By the time he came back to the doorway, both Ryoko and Ayeka were emerging from their rooms.

"No need for any poking around in my brain, Washu." Ryoko was saying. " I just want a slug of sake. Trust me, I'm calm and in control now."

"I'm all right, Sasami," Ayeka was saying over her shoulder, "it's just that I really don't feel like going back to bed now."

But the next moment, Ryoko and Ayeka caught sight of each other. A connoisseur of screams would have said that this pair was higher pitched than the earlier twin screams, and suggested panic rather than terror. But Tenchi and Washu paid less attention to the sounds, and more to the fact that Ryoko and Ayeka disappeared in a cyan-tinted and violet-tinted blur, respectively.

Tenchi and Washu looked around for a moment. Through the bedroom doorway, they could see Sasami staring at a mound of blankets covering something just the size of Ayeka curled into a ball. In the other direction, Ryoko looked much like a startled cat, with her back arched and her tail straight out. But she was doing it upside down, with her toenails and fingernails digging into the ceiling.

"Well," said Tenchi after several moments, "this is different."

- - - - - - - -

Breakfast was also different from normal, or what passed for normal in the Masaki household. True, Nobuyuki had accepted his usual rice ball from Sasami before his early morning commute, and Tenchi had done his usual work in the carrot fields before the sun was fully up. But when the family assembled around the table for Sasami's usual mouth-watering meal, things were different. Instead of taking up their standard positions on either side of Tenchi, Ryoko and Ayeka sat at opposite ends of the table, as far away from each other as possible. Ryoko's appetite also was much less than usual, taking only a bowl and a half instead of her customary four. Sasami looked a little anxious about that, but being able to sit next to Tenchi considerably cheered her up. Mihoshi happily occupied the place on the other side, while Washu took copious notes on the situation.

Ayeka cast one or two unhappy looks at the red-haired genius, since she considered research at mealtime to be poor manners. But the princess couldn't help remembering Washu's expression from her dream, and was still too nervous to say anything out loud. Ryoko kept remarkably quiet as well.

Tenchi found that Sasami and Mihoshi made for pleasant company, but he noticed that Ayeka and Ryoko weren't as lively as usual. It worried him more than a little, for he knew his extended family well enough to be aware that something was wrong. But it was clear that neither Ryoko nor Ayeka wanted to talk about it. He decided to approach the situation indirectly and try to draw the two into a conversation. "How did your patrol go, Mihoshi?" he asked the GP detective.

"Oh, pretty quiet. There was one pirate ship, but they turned tail and ran when I identified myself." Mihoshi looked cheerful. "I must be getting quite a reputation."

"But a reputation for what?" muttered Washu too softly for Mihoshi to hear.

"That's good," said Tenchi. "Oh, could you pass me the red pepper sauce, please?"

"Sure, here you -- oops!" Mihoshi fumbled the little bowl and splashed Tenchi with the sauce.

Ryoko had been concentrating on her plate so as not to look at Ayeka. But at Mihoshi's squeal of dismay, she brought her gaze up towards Tenchi, who appeared at first glance to have a large bloodstain on his upper chest. Just for a moment, Ryoko was petrified at the sight.

And that brought a gasp of shock from the other end of the table. Ayeka swayed, and the color drained from her face. Sasami didn't notice at first, however, because she was busy grabbing a napkin to help clean Tenchi up.

"Boy, this is a mess!" Sasami exclaimed.

"Mihoshi, I swear you have got to be the most butter-fingered person in the galaxy!" Ryoko spat, recovered from her temporary scare.

"Hey, don't be so hard on sister Mihoshi." Sasami protested. "I'm sure Ayeka can get the stains . . . um, Ayeka?" It was then that Sasami noticed her big sister. "You look like you've seen a ghost! It's all right, brother Tenchi isn't hurt."

"Actually, it looked to me as if Ayeka was startled when she looked at Ryoko." Washu remarked.

Hearing this, the older princess gathered her wits again. "Nonsense! I've had to look at Ryoko countless times. I admit it can be a disturbing experience, but I'm well used to it."

"Well," Mihoshi ventured, "Personally, I was a little scared. She was showing her fangs this time."

Ryoko had been about to fire an insult back to Ayeka, but now she turned to Mihoshi. "I do not have fangs!"

"Your incisors are a bit sharp, though, aren't they?" Washu interjected.

"If a certain over-delicate princess can handle them, I see no problem." Ryoko declared.

"Over-delicate??" Ayeka objected. "I don't think you realize how strong your breath can get during the second bottle of sake."

"I'm glad to see things are getting back to normal." Tenchi said hastily as the tension level was ramping up. "You both seemed like you were still getting over last night."

"Who, me?" Ryoko said. "I'm in top shape."

"And I am quite well now, Lord Tenchi." Ayeka added.

"So, no need to change any plans for today?" Washu asked.

Both Ayeka and Ryoko were brought up short, as each remembered the day's plans included a lesson for Ryoko. A lesson in Juraian erotic techniques, during which they would be alone with each other. But neither was about to admit to fear in front of Tenchi.

"No need at all, Lady Washu." Ayeka said.

"I'm ready for the what the day brings," Ryoko agreed.

"Splendid." Washu said. "First, the day brings Ryoko's turn to wash the breakfast dishes."

With a faint hum of teleportation, Ryoko disappeared.

"Apparently, that's Ryoko's idea of being ready." Ayeka commented. "Well, I will be happy to take care of the breakfast dishes."

Washu, Tenchi, and even Mihoshi stared at the violet-haired princess. They knew that housework was definitely not on the list of Ayeka's favorite activities. Washu rubbed her chin, and wondered if Ayeka had volunteered because she knew the kitchen was the one place Ryoko was certain to be away from.

(To be continued . . .)


	2. Off to the Lab We Go

Disclaimer: Characters and concepts from "Tenchi Muyo!" were created by Kajishima Masaki, and are Copyright AIC and Pioneer LDC. This work is a parody and not to be used for any commercial purposes.

**Personal History, Ch. II**

Eventually, the time arrived for the day's lesson. Ayeka, as was her habit, arrived early at the door to Washu's lab. Usually she waited patiently, but today she was anxious, fidgeting with the sleeve of her robe.

Finding a place with enough privacy to hold the sessions had required some effort. Ayeka shared her room with Sasami, so that was out. Ryoko's room was too open, and not kept as clean as Ayeka wanted. It wasn't fair to close the floating onsen to everyone else, especially not to Tenchi since he worked so hard growing Ryo-Ohki's carrots and often needed a bath afterwards. Finally, Ayeka and Ryoko had broken down and asked Washu to create a compartment inside her lab. And the genius scientist had delivered, creating a unit capable of being configured to a wonderful variety of lighting, backgrounds and even scents.

It had also come with an array of hidden recording equipment, but Ryoko was an old hand at dealing with spying devices. In fact, she had positively enjoyed herself blasting the microphones and video gear. However, there was one final problem that even she was having trouble with.

What Ryoko showed up with this time didn't seem to be useful for detecting spy gear. Today she was carrying a length of sturdy-looking metal tubing over her shoulder. If Ayeka had not known that Ryoko preferred to fight with bare hands or energy blades she would have been worried that Ryoko intended to use it on her.

"Hello, Miss Ryoko." Ayeka's voice showed uncertainty. "May I ask what you are carrying?"

"The latest in privacy insurance." Ryoko smiled. "It's an alloy beam, like the ones Washu uses in the heavy-equipment sections of the lab. I figured since Mihoshi always causes the locks to malfunction somehow, I'd simply bar the door."

"For once, I wish you success." As Washu had found time and time again, Mihoshi turned up exactly where and when you didn't want her. High-tech locks or concealed doors seemed to be equally useless at keeping the GP detective out.

Ayeka and Ryoko made their way into Washu's lab and down the maze of corridors to their unit. (Ryoko had nicknamed it "the Passion Pit", to Ayeka's discomfort.) Ayeka undid the double cobalt-titanium alloy locks that they hadn't got around to removing yet after their failure against Mihoshi. The two stepped inside. At the moment, the unit had been configured to look much like a luxury hotel suite, with a king-size bed instead of a futon, and plush carpeting instead of tatami mats.

Ryoko put one end of her beam on the floor. "Could you make a dimple in the floor, Ayeka?"

The princess manipulated the keypad on the wall, and a shallow depression appeared a short distance from the door. Ryoko put one end of the beam into it, and then braced the other end against the door's upper panel. "That ought to hold it." Ryoko said with a satisfied expression.

"It does look really sturdy." Mihoshi's voice came from a corner of the room. Ryoko and Ayeka spun around to see the blonde getting up from an overstuffed armchair.

"How does she DO that??" Ryoko hissed to Ayeka.

"Time for plan 'b'," muttered Ayeka.

"So what are you girls up to today?" Mihoshi asked innocently.

"I'm showing Ryoko how to arrange furniture to according to the Feng Shui philosophy," Ayeka lied shamelessly. "Did you know that the direction you lie on a bed can help you feel more energy?"

"Uh, no," Mihoshi looked thoughtful, "I thought everyone had to lie horizontally."

A vein throbbed in Ayeka's forehead, and she had to take one or two deep breaths. "No, actually I meant whether you lie down with your head towards the wall, or away from the wall." She walked over to the king-size bed, and patted it. "Here, try it yourself."

"Okay." Mihoshi reclined on the inviting surface as Ayeka directed.

"Now, close your eyes," Ayeka instructed, "and visualize energy flowing through you. Imagine it as a gently flowing stream . . . "

Four minutes later, the blonde was snoring away.

"Well, that takes care of that." Ayeka said with a self-satisfied air.

"If the idea was to put her out, I could have done it a lot faster." Ryoko rubbed her knuckles.

"Your way would have disturbed the mood we were after."

"Let me point out that our resident napping champion is now occupying the bed." Ryoko waved her hand at Mihoshi's horizontal form.

"You've been known to rival her for that title. And we won't be needing the bed today." Ayeka repressed the embarrassing thought of just when they would be needing it. "For now, I wish to teach you the breathing exercises."

"Breathing exercises??" Ryoko said disdainfully. "Come on, Ayeka, don't waste time. Washu gave me the ability to go underwater or into deep space. I don't need to breathe at all."

"True, but you have the lungs for it, just as you have the ability to get energy from food as well as from the Masu or your gem." Ayeka replied calmly. They were now in an area she had taken care to learn from Washu. "I believe your hormones will work more strongly when your blood carries more oxygen."

"Okay, I guess it's worth a shot." Ryoko conceded. Her dream during the night came back to her. She found it unsettling that Ayeka knew so much about the way her body worked.

Ayeka gathered a pair of towels from a cupboard and laid them on the carpeted floor. She knelt on one, while Ryoko sat cross-legged on the other. "Let's start with slow breaths," Ayeka began, "about half of your full lung capacity. Ideally your partner shouldn't notice."

"Tenchi, you mean." Ryoko permitted herself the reply, then began to concentrate on her breathing.

With some effort, Ayeka passed over the remark. "Now, gradually deepen your breaths. Try to expel a little more while exhaling than you take in while inhaling. Think of it as removing what has gone before."

"All right." Ryoko found she was relaxing a little. It had just been a dream, after all. And Ayeka seemed to know what she was doing.

"Visualize the extra oxygen going into your bloodstream. It's as if your blood is getting warmer . . . more charged with energy . . . "

"Oxygen potential up to 78 percent," Ryoko intoned, "Overall body temperature rising point three degrees."

"Umm . . . I don't think that's the frame of mind we want, Miss Ryoko." Ayeka said.

Ryoko's eyes went wide. "Ayeka -- I didn't say that."

"What?" Ayeka looked quickly over to Mihoshi, but the GP detective was still sound asleep. "Come now, even if Mihoshi were awake, I doubt she's a ventriloquist."

"No, no." Ryoko shook her head. "It was my voice speaking -- but I didn't tell it to say anything."

"You mean you were -- possessed somehow?" Now Ayeka looked as concerned as Ryoko.

"I sure hope not. Give me a moment to concentrate." Ryoko grudgingly admitted to herself that was one thing Ayeka was good at. When she wanted to, the princess could be as still and silent as a stone Buddha. Ryoko closed her eyes and tried to feel where the words had come from. There was nothing from outside that she could sense. It hadn't been anything like Kagato's control of her. But what about Dr. Clay's commands to Zero? "I think I found it. That was one of Zero's self-diagnostic routines. Maybe it finally came back on-line because of my regeneration ability."

Ayeka drew in a sharp breath. The image from her dream of Ryoko's nails regenerating had come back to her. "Ryoko. If that is happening, I think you had better see Washu right away."

"Back to the Chamber of Horrors?" Ryoko had the same feelings about Washu's main examination room that Tenchi did, and for much the same reasons. "Ayeka, I don't think it's that serious."

"Other things from Zero may have regenerated too." Ayeka pointed out. "Perhaps even the self-destruct system."

"Oh." Ryoko looked grim. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But I'm not going in there alone."

"I will accompany you." Ayeka offered.

"I think it had better be someone else, if you don't mind." Ryoko repressed a shudder. Just as in her dream, Ayeka had stumbled across something hidden from her past. Something that might pose a terrible threat. Ryoko was now very anxious to get away from Ayeka. She focused her energies, and teleported out of Washu's lab entirely, directly to the living room.

Now, who should go with her to see Washu? She first thought of Tenchi. But he was out of the house, probably training with his grandfather. That only left . . . wait a minute, there might be a silver lining to this after all . . .

Back in the unit, Ayeka sighed. Ryoko had left without bothering to remove the beam holding the door shut. Really, why was she the only one who could see how inconsiderate the ex-space-pirate was? Ayeka walked over to the beam and tried to lift it.

But Ryoko had jammed the beam against the door with her extraordinary strength, and the friction against the panel held it firm. There was no chance of moving the other end either, for the dimple in the floor locked it in place. Ayeka strained harder, but with no better result. "That _bakemono_ (idiot monster)!!" she yelled in frustration.

"I'm here, chief!" Mihoshi sat up, jarred out of her slumber. She looked around blankly for a moment. "Oh! Funny, I thought I heard my superior calling me. Usually I have much nicer dreams when I nap . . ."

"Miss Mihoshi," Ayeka requested, "now that your nap is done, could you possibly help me here?"

"Sure thing." Mihoshi looked around with a slightly higher level of awareness. "Wasn't Ryoko here also?"

"She left," Ayeka said as calmly as she could manage, "and left us with a little problem."

"She does come and go so quickly," Mihoshi said, getting off the bed. But, not too surprisingly, she stumbled. "Ooops!" The blonde collided with the wall, arms flailing. One arm hit the unit's control panel.

The dimple in the floor suddenly widened and deepened. Now loose, the beam came down, catching Ayeka's left foot. Reacting instantly, the princess filled the air with high-volume profanity.

"My," Mihoshi stared wide-eyed, "you've learned a few things from Ryoko, haven't you?"

Mihoshi's luck was working for her once again. Ayeka was limping too much to catch her.

- - - - - - - -

A short time later, Ryoko was in the standard position for one of Washu's "guests". Suspended by metal tentacles in mid-air, she had been stripped of all her clothes and several instruments had been hooked up to her. As might have been expected, Washu was intently studying her control panel. The one difference was that the third person in the room was not Mihoshi but Sasami, who was studiously trying to avoid staring at Ryoko.

"Are you sure sister-Mihoshi wouldn't be better for this?" the little princess asked.

"Yes, we're sure!" both Washu and Ryoko answered immediately. The idea of Mihoshi causing her typical foul-ups in Washu's lab made both of them more worried than they cared to admit.

"Oh." Sasami still looked uncomfortable. "Well, have you found what's wrong with sister-Ryoko yet?"

"It's not 'wrong'!" Washu and Ryoko again answered simultaneously.

"My design is handling an unplanned situation, that's all." Washu continued.

"It's more like an unexpected extra." Ryoko added. "But you know," she turned towards Washu as best she could, "it's not entirely your design."

"I've eliminated nearly all of that walking abomination Kagato's modifications," Washu spat back.

"I was thinking of Dr. Clay's part." Ryoko countered. "Old octopus-head may have been greedy, but he did some pretty good work."

"Hah! As if Zero could compare with my masterpiece!" Washu said dismissively.

"Hey!" protested Zero/Ryoko.

"Can we get back to finding out what's going on?" Sasami reminded the two (more-or-less) adults.

"Oh, all right." Washu typed in several more commands to her holo-keyboard. "As Ryoko and Ayeka guessed, a few of Zero's systems are starting to regenerate. Only the minor ones, however. Anything powerful was seen as a threat by the excellent immune system I gave Ryoko, and eradicated."

"So I'll never have the shape-changing ability again?" Ryoko's voice had no small amount of disappointment. Turning into a doppelganger of Ayeka would have had so many amusing possibilities. She blinked for a moment. On second thought, maybe it was best not to provoke the princess while the training sessions were going on.

"Nope." Washu answered. "Actually, from what I can determine, that was a one-time-only function. I'm still not sure how Clay set it up. Maybe he got the technology from somewhere else."

"Come to think of it," Ryoko frowned, "I have no memory of where that ability came from."

"Well, as long as sister-Ryoko is all right." Sasami got up from her seat. "Can I go back now?"

"You stay right here, Sasami." Ryoko answered quickly. "I don't want anyone leaving me in this set-up again!"

"Again?" Sasami queried. "Washu, did you forget to release her once?"

"Ahh, well," Washu nervously tapped her forefingers together, "It may have slipped my mind that one time . . ."

"Slipped your mind, my a . . . eye!" Ryoko caught herself with a glance at Sasami. "You wanted to see how long it took me to get scared!" She turned to the blue-haired princess. "She knows I hate being alone in dark places, ever since those miserable seven hundred years in the cave."

"So you were frightened?" Sasami's voice had all the concern Ryoko was hoping for.

"Not at first. But I was left there for so long," Ryoko said, "that I kind of lost track of time. I thought maybe everyone had forgotten about me. I may have cried just a little."

"A little??" Washu snorted. "You were wailing like a toddler who lost a lollipop!"

"Come on, it wasn't that bad!" Ryoko argued.

"It certainly was!" Washu retorted. "I should know, I got it all on tape!"

"You were _taping her_??" Sasami's eyes widened in outrage.

"_Shimatta!_ (I blew it!)" Washu realized she'd said too much.

"That's shameful! I want you to apologize to sister Ryoko, and promise me you'll erase that tape!" Sasami demanded.

"Now wait a minute--" Washu began.

"Or I won't cook any dinner for you for a week!" Sasami declared.

"Not that!" Washu exclaimed. Sasami gazed steadily at her. "All right. I'm sorry for leaving you there, Ryoko, and I'll erase the tape."

"And all the copies you made, too." Sasami prodded.

"Copies?" Washu said as innocently as she could. "What copies?"

"Don't believe her, Sasami!" said Ryoko.

"You stay out of this, Ryoko!" Washu said angrily.

"I've been involved since the beginning, remember?" retorted Ryoko.

Washu glowered at her daughter, then turned back to Sasami. "Come on, Sasami, try to understand. Those tapes are valuable scientific data."

"Valuable blackmail material, you mean." Ryoko piped up again.

"Will you _shut up_?!" yelled Washu.

"Can't make me!" Ryoko stuck out her tongue in response.

"Calm down, both of you!" said the eight-year-old to the five-thousand-year-old and the twenty-thousand-year-old. Washu and Ryoko both took deep breaths. "Washu, you're going to erase all the copies, right?"

"Very well." Washu said grudgingly. Ryoko smirked.

"And Ryoko," Sasami turned towards the cyan-haired woman, " you're going to help with the breakfast dishes tomorrow without dodging, right?"

The smile disappeared from Ryoko's face. She couldn't teleport away, and there was no good way to refuse. "Okay," she said after a moment. It was still a reasonable price to pay for getting rid of those humiliating tapes.

As she let Ryoko out of the tentacles and clamps, Washu was also of the opinion that Ryoko had come out ahead. Well, just because she had to erase everything from that episode didn't mean there couldn't be another episode to frighten Ryoko. And she had a fair idea of what Ryoko was scared of at this point . . .

- - - - - - - -

It was getting towards dinnertime, and some delicious smells were drifting out of the kitchen. Never being the patient type, Ryoko decided to see what Sasami was preparing for the evening meal.

But there was an interruption as she made her way down the hall. "Ryoko!" came a voice from behind her. "I've come for you!"

Ryoko spun around. Behind her was a nightmare figure. An inky black cloak billowed around its body, and an equally dark hood framed the face. The apparition held a wickedly gleaming scythe in one hand, and pointed straight at Ryoko with taloned fingers on the other hand. But the most frightening part was the face. It was Ayeka's face, red eyes alight with menace. "Your time has come!" it announced.

"_Holy_--!!" Ryoko jumped back and ignited her energy-sword. She settled into her ready stance, then charged forward with a sweeping cut. The figure parried with its scythe. But when the glowing energy-blade met the metal, instead of being cut, the scythe seemed to absorb the energy like a sponge. Ryoko found herself holding nothing.

"No!" Ryoko burst out. "Can't be--" And then she noticed something that made the situation make sense.

"Confess your crimes, demon, and I may show mercy!" said the apparition.

Ryoko straightened up. "I confess that my 'mom' is a jerk!" she answered defiantly.

The figure laughed with Washu's voice. "Not bad! You guessed four seconds earlier than I predicted!" The free hand went up to the hood, and pulled off the mask. "So, tell me. What is it about Ayeka that you think is so scary?"

"Well, at the moment, her over-sized fan." Ryoko replied, keeping a poker face.

WHAP!

"_Itai!_ (oww!)" yelled Washu as she was smacked to the floor.

"Nice swing and follow-through," Ryoko said approvingly, "but wouldn't a mallet be better?"

"This was a gift from my Grandmother," Ayeka replied. "It doesn't have the extras that her own fan does, but it's served me well."

"It does seem to pack a wallop." Ryoko floated up to a ceiling light which hadn't been there yesterday. "I have to dispose of one or two pieces of junk. Would you like to help me?" Yanking the light loose, she confirmed that it was actually a disguised video camera.

"Certainly." Ayeka answered. By this time she had retrieved up the mask, which had slipped out of Washu's grasp. She followed Ryoko out of the house and on to the patio next to the lake.

Ryoko handed the camera to Ayeka. "Ready when you are." said the princess.

"Pull!" Ryoko said.

Ayeka threw the camera over the lake. As the device reached the peak of its trajectory, Ryoko let loose with an energy beam. The camera disappeared in a bright explosion, and a few moments later a small cloud of blackened particles began falling towards the lake.

"Hey!" shouted Washu. She had recovered from her encounter with Ayeka's fan, and was dashing out of the house towards the pair. " You can't just destroy my--"

"Pull!" Ryoko paid no attention to the interruption.

Ayeka spun the mask as if it had been a discus, sending it soaring over the lake. Ryoko's beam caught it squarely, and in moments a second cloud of tiny fragments was drifting downwards.

"Do you know how long it took me to get the hair right??" Washu nearly screamed. "I would have thought you, Ayeka, would have more respect for other people's property!"

"And I would have thought you would have more respect than to use my likeness for a mean-spirited prank." Ayeka replied with a withering look.

"You haven't seen 'mean-spirited' yet!" Washu roared. "And as for your likeness, it's about to change! Try being _kappa _(water sprites) for a while!" The redheaded genius summoned her holo-keyboard, and typed in a quick command. Small clouds formed over the two younger girls, and green-tinted rain began to fall from them.

But Ayeka and Ryoko were ready. Ryoko simply disappeared, and re-appeared a few feet away. Ayeka unfolded her fan and held it above her in one swift motion. The fluid ran harmlessly off it and to the side. "Not today." Said the princess.

"Do you really think it's going to be that easy??" Washu grated.

With a low buzz, Ayeka's miniature logs appeared around her. Motes of energy flowed from several directions to collect in a ball just above Ryoko's palm. "Draw when you feel lucky, pardner." Ryoko said.

Washu's pressed another button on the holo-keyboard, and a subspace hole opened up next to her. Ayeka's red eyes and Ryoko's golden eyes narrowed. In the background, the cicadas stopped chirping. Washu reached into the hole.

"I'm back!" came Tenchi's voice. "Am I in time for dinner?"

Washu hastily withdraw her arm and closed the subspace hole. Ryoko dissipated the energy ball. The miniature logs around Ayeka vanished. "Welcome home, Lord Tenchi!" The princess called out. "Your timing couldn't be better!"

Tenchi came around the corner of the house, still carrying his hoe from working on the carrot fields.

"Hi, Tenchi!" Ryoko had a sultry tone in her voice. "Let me take that for you." She took the hoe from where he had it on his shoulder.

"You must have gotten thirsty out there in the fields." said Washu. "Why don't you come into the lab, and I can whip up an electrolyte-restoring drink?"

"Oh, I think a dinner from Sasami will do just fine," said Tenchi warily.

To Washu's disappointment, dinner turned out as Tenchi had predicted. Sasami and Mihoshi kept up a lively conversation over the excellent food, and Tenchi happily joined in. But although Ryoko and Ayeka also took part in the conversation, and Ryoko's appetite seemed to be back, the two were still sitting at opposite ends from each other. Each sensed that one difficulty had been handled successfully, but the main problems had not yet been resolved.

(To be continued . . .)


	3. Singing and Sweeping

Disclaimer: Characters and concepts from "Tenchi Muyo!" were created by Kajishima Masaki, and are Copyright AIC and Pioneer LDC. This work is a parody and not to be used for any commercial purposes.

**Personal History, Ch. III**

"Now, the area behind the knee is also a good starting point." Ayeka instructed. "But you have to be careful, because it can also be ticklish." She demonstrated by running her fingers over the hollow at the rear of Mihoshi's left knee. The blonde giggled in her sleep.

It was late in the evening, and ordinarily Ayeka would have been in bed. But neither she nor Ryoko were anxious to go to sleep that night. When Ryoko had asked to resume the interrupted lesson, Ayeka had accepted. Not too surprisingly, Mihoshi had appeared once again. This time, however, Ayeka was actually a little grateful. Once Mihoshi had fallen asleep, it saved Ayeka the uncomfortable situation of demonstrating on Ryoko.

"A gentle but steady touch is the idea." Ayeka continued, suiting actions to words and massaging with her palm. This time Mihoshi gave a dreamy sigh. "Now you try it."

Ryoko extended her hand. "This feels a little bit weird." She stroked the spot at the back of Mihoshi's knee, trying not to use too little pressure or too much. In a few moments, Mihoshi gave another pleasurable sigh. "Okay--a lot weird."

"Is it simply that it's Mihoshi," Ayeka asked, "or are you more used to men than women?"

Ryoko hesitated a moment before answering. "I was never really 'used to' either one. Every . . . encounter. . . was because Kagato trying to get an artifact or information. I'd prefer to forget about it as much as possible."

For a long moment Ayeka struggled with temptation. She was aching to know more about Ryoko's past. Did Ryoko mean she had never slept with Kagato himself? And were any of the names of those Ryoko had slept with names she would recognize? It would be so easy to claim it was something she needed to know to teach Ryoko properly.

But Ayeka saw the somber expression on Ryoko's face, and sensed this was dangerous to explore. And there was her own sense of duty as well. Much as she detested the ex-space-pirate the rest of the time, here and now they were teacher and pupil.

Ayeka decided to leave matters alone, at least for now. "Of course." She replied. "Well, I think it's time I joined Sasami and got some sleep. You're making excellent progress. Don't forget to practice the breathing exercises before our next session."

"Thanks, Ayeka." Ryoko couldn't quite bring herself to call the princess _'sensei' _(teacher). "Good night."

"Pleasant dreams, miss Ryoko." Ayeka replied, going out the door.

Ryoko didn't think it was very likely, however.

- - - - - - - -

Ayeka paused to look at the image slowly being formed on the tapestry. This was quite possibly her best creation yet. The colors were subtle, yet they held the eye, and the detail was superb. The image of a Juraian noblewoman greeting the dawn in a garden carried the impression of dignity and grace while still preserving the sense of wonder and delight in nature. Ayeka bent down to the loom to finish weaving the fertile-looking soil under the noblewoman's feet.

"Hey!" came Ryoko's voice. "What kind of over-done outfit is this? It makes me look like a hot dog in a bun!"

Ayeka looked around. But there was no Ryoko to be seen, until she glanced at the tapestry. How had Ryoko's face gotten there? The ex-space-pirate was not who she had in mind to represent Juraian aristocracy. But she would have to make the best of the situation. "This outfit shows elegance and gentility, which you could use a measure of, Ryoko. Now please hold still while I finish."

"No way! It's bulky and uncomfortable!" Ryoko lifted her head a fraction from the tapestry and turned to face Ayeka. "Would it kill you Juraians to show a little skin? And where's my tail?"

"Juraian outfits do not have tails." Ayeka said sharply. "You'll just have to accept the way I've woven it."

'Want to bet?" Ryoko was equally unyielding. "I'm going to get this hood off, at least." Her arm moved upwards, and gripped the hood of the formal robe. She tugged, but the hood was not easy to move, since it was part of the woven image.

"_Yamette!_ (Stop it!)" Ayeka scolded. "You'll unravel the picture, and yourself with it!"

But Ryoko ignored the warning. The hood yielded, tearing the tapestry itself. And as Ayeka had predicted, it started to unravel. "Hey!" Ryoko shouted as one arm began shredding into separate threads, "what's going on?"

"You're unraveling, just like I told you!" Ayeka shouted back. She grabbed a needle, and tried to stop the damage from spreading.

"Don't you come near me with that thing!" Ryoko yelled. "Jeez, and I thought Washu was fond of big needles!" She tried to move away, but only tore the tapestry even further. And now the tear spread until Ryoko's body was torn in half. "Ooooh . . . I don't feel so good."

"What a nightmare," Ayeka moaned. And then she realized she was exactly right. Now if she could just figure out how to wake up. . .

"Big sister!" Came Sasami's voice from the hall. "How are you doing with the tapestry? I want to see!"

"I want to see, too!" Now Tenchi's voice sounded. "You promised you'd let us have a look today, after all."

Time for strong measures. Ayeka took the needle and jabbed it into her other hand.

The next moment, she was lying on her futon, her heart beating double time. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then remembered to let it out slowly so as not to awaken her little sister. Looking over, she saw that Sasami had thrown her covers almost entirely off herself. Ayeka reached out and gently drew the sheet and blanket back over Sasami, careful not to disturb Ryo-Ohki, who was sleeping in her cabbit form on the opposite side of Sasami's pillow.

It was as she drew her hand back that she noticed the red mark on her palm. She frowned for a moment, but then smiled. Who would have thought the Earth fashion of growing one's fingernails long would be that useful?

- - - - - - - -

"This way for the competitors!" called the voice. Ryoko followed eagerly. At last, she would get the chance to show the world her skills with a motorcycle. And with any luck, Tenchi would be one of the spectators.

But when she emerged into the pit area, there was no motorcycle to be seen. "Where's my bike?" Ryoko demanded. She stepped into the center of the pit, looking all around. Nothing. At last she glanced downward, to see that she was standing on a shallow oil slick. And then, in the reflection from its surface, she saw herself changing. Her legs became covered with rubber, and arms became coated with chrome. In moments she lost the ability to move. There was a blur of light, and when it passed she realized that her eyes were looking out of twin headlights. She herself had become the motorcycle.

She tried mightily to yell for help. But she couldn't figure out where her mouth was. Instead, her motor started with the bang of a backfire. She hastily stopped her struggles and tried to figure things out more systematically. Okay, her wheels must be her legs . . .

The back door to the pit opened, and Ayeka walked in, dressed in a form-fitting fireproof suit. Just behind her came Tenchi, wearing a jacket and a cap labeled "press", and carrying a notepad.

"But," Tenchi was inquiring, "doesn't it bother you that they call you 'crash' Masaki?"

Just for a moment, a vein bulged in Ayeka's forehead. Then she gave an exaggerated laugh. "Oh, I can't pay attention to rumor and gossip. A professional has to stay focused. Like," she paused, racking her brains for a moment, "making sure I have a full tank of fuel for the race." She went over to the fuel pump and took the nozzle, trailing the hose behind her. Bending over Ryoko, she unscrewed the cap to Ryoko's gas tank. Ryoko had just time to realize that the opening was her mouth when Ayeka shoved the nozzle in, effectively muzzling her. She tried desperately to warn Ayeka and Tenchi that her motor was running as the gasoline started to flow.

"That's a new machine you're using for today's race, isn't it?" Tenchi asked while busily writing down Ayeka's answer from his previous question.

"Ahh--yes, so it is." Ayeka recovered. Ryoko tried to protest that she wasn't supposed to be a motorcycle. "My crew hasn't quite finished the repairs after that little incident with the guardrail in last week's race." Ayeka continued.

"I thought your motorcycle was wrapped around that rail like a pretzel." Tenchi said. This was sounding worse and worse to Ryoko, who was getting closer to full by the minute. Couldn't either of them see the danger?

"Oh, no. After all, I wasn't hurt much. Just a bruise on my cheek. And I think it's gone now. Could you check for me please?" She turned her head to give her profile, and leaned close to Tenchi.

That pea-brained princess was flirting with her Tenchi! Ryoko could have exploded. And speaking of exploding, the gasoline had reached the opening of her fuel tank . . .

And suddenly Ryoko was awake. She gave a gasp of relief. She wasn't a motorcycle any more, Ayeka wasn't getting her hooks into Tenchi, and they weren't about to be incinerated. Although, she still felt as if she were about to overflow. Since she didn't have a fuel tank any more she quickly realized the problem was her bladder. Well, that was easy enough to solve for someone able to teleport to the bathroom.

Ryoko returned to her futon a few minutes later feeling generally at peace with the world. She slid back under the covers, put her head down on the pillow, and closed her eyes. And then a thought came to her, and her eyes opened again. Both times so far, the nightmare had not been Ayeka deliberately attacking her. Instead, the danger had been from Ayeka not knowing what she was doing.

When they had started the sessions, Ryoko hadn't realized that Ayeka was going to learn so much about her. Once it became clear, Ryoko had demanded that Ayeka promise not to divulge what she learned, and not to take unfair advantage of it. (Ayeka had promised immediately, saying that she wouldn't have done any such thing, being the First Princess of Jurai, which of course was the most annoying reply she could possibly have given.) But it now occurred to Ryoko that Ayeka might let loose something disastrous by accident instead of on purpose. She could trust he princess not to be treacherous -- but could she trust her not to be stupid?

Her first reaction was 'no'. Ayeka was a self-centered, spoiled, immature blockhead! . . . Or was that merely what she wanted to believe? After all, Ayeka seemed to know what she was doing so far in their lessons. And there had been nothing wrong with her intelligence when she had put a teleporter on Tenchi's door that night when Mihoshi had demolished the house (the first time).

Ryoko closed her eyes again. This would need some looking into, but it would have to wait for tomorrow.

- - - - - - - -

It was after breakfast the next day, and to the surprise of several members of the Masaki household, Ryoko was keeping her promise to help with the dishes.

"Make sure the water is nice and hot," Sasami directed, "you should just be able to stand it."

"I can stand as hot as water can get." Ryoko pointed out. "I can walk through fire, remember?"

"Oh, right." Sasami nodded. "Okay, it should be a little hotter than the onsen."

"Coming up," Ryoko said, and turned the hot water faucet open a bit more. "Say, Sasami . . . can I ask you a question about Ayeka?"

"I guess so," Sasami answered, "unless it's something she told me in secret."

"How smart do you think she is?"

Sasami looked thoughtful. "Well, she's not as smart as Washu, but then no one is. She's not as clever as Grandma Seto, but she's smart enough to realize that. And she has memorized a whole lot of manners and protocol for the various planets that Jurai trades with."

"But what about cooking, for instance?" Ryoko asked, "You have to admit that if she whipped up a new dish for lunch, you'd be very careful about tasting it, sister or not."

"Well, it depends." Sasami answered. "She's pretty capable with cold foods like salads. Although it takes her a little extra time -- okay, a lot of time -- because she tries to get everything just right. That's why she over-cooks the things that need heat. That, and she always thinks the more expensive an ingredient is, the better it is."

"I remember a time she did something that sure looked foolish to me." Ryoko countered.

"Well, maybe she had a reason you didn't know about." Sasami suggested.

"That's possible." Ryoko conceded. She put down the dish she had been working on. "Yes . . . I should ask her about that."

"But first," Sasami said, "you'll finish helping me, right?"

It was on the tip of Ryoko's tongue to say 'gotta catch me first'. But this was Sasami, and it didn't seem right to disappoint her. "All right," Ryoko said with a just a touch of resignation in her voice.

"And don't forget to clean all the way to the bottom of the cups!" Sasami added.

"You're a stern task-master, kid." A mischievous thought occurred to Ryoko. "Say, the Juraians have been visiting this planet for a long time, haven't they?"

"That's what brother Yosho tells me." Sasami agreed.

"Then maybe some of your ancestors were slave-drivers in ancient Egypt." Ryoko suggested. "That would explain a few things."

"R--Ryoko . . . !" Sasami actually spluttered.

Ryoko dropped her voice to a throaty baritone.

"When Israel was in Egypt's Land,  
Let my people go!  
Oppressed so hard they could not stand,"

"Hey! That's not fair!" Sasami tried to interrupt.

Ryoko slumped her shoulders as if under a burden and melodramatically raised her eyes skyward as she continued.

"Let my people go!  
Go down, Moses,"

"I knew Washu shouldn't have downloaded those American Spiritual karaoke tunes." Sasami declared.

"way down in Egypt's land,  
Tell ol´ Pharaoh,  
Let my people goooo." Ryoko drew out the last syllable for extra emphasis.

"You're one of a kind," Sasami pointed out tartly, "you don't have 'people'!"

Outside the kitchen door, Ayeka paused. She had hurried towards the kitchen when she heard Sasami raise her voice. But her sister didn't seem to really need her, even if Ryoko was teasing unfairly. And a new thought had just entered her mind. Ryoko was kidding at the moment, but she had, for all practical purposes, been a slave. If what Washu said was true, and it almost always was, Kagato had taken control of Ryoko not far from the time of the first dynasty of Pharoanic Egypt. And yet she was able to make a joke about it.

Ayeka found herself putting on a smock, taking a broom from the closet, and heading towards the shrine. If Ryoko was going to make herself useful, then she could do no less. Also, it would give her time to think further.

Just as she reached the front door, she heard Sasami, and the little princess' voice was sugary enough to keep every dentist in Okayama employed.

"Just whistle while you work,  
And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place,  
So hum a merry tune,  
It won't take long when there's a song--"

"Okay, okay!" came Ryoko's voice. "I'll stop singing if you'll stop!" Ayeka smiled. Her little sister was definitely capable of taking care of herself.

As she walked up the steps to the shrine, Ayeka reflected further. Perhaps Ryoko dodged her chores, not because she was lazy, but because she finally had the ability to dodge. Ayeka actually shared Ryoko's attitude about housework. It wasn't that she considered it beneath her. Her parents, especially stepmother Funaho, had made clear that no useful work was beneath anyone. But most of the chores that needing doing around the Masaki house were just plain unpleasant. And some of those that could be enjoyed in the right frame of mind, such as cooking, she had been strongly discouraged from. Ayeka reached the shrine courtyard, and began to sweep. She did what she could do, as she was doing now, because it needed to be done, and the only others available were already doing their own work.

But what if, instead of growing up with servants, she had done chores all her life? What if she had already done a huge amount of work that was not merely distasteful, but revolting or even agonizing? Might she see it as fair that she would let others do the chores for a time?

By this time, Ayeka was about a third of the way through sweeping the courtyard. As she was passing near the door of the shrine office, it opened and her brother emerged.

"Ayeka, that is Tenchi's job." he reproved.

"I don't mind it today." she replied. "And I thought Lord Tenchi could use a rest this once."

"His chores are part of his training." Yosho reminded her.

"Oh . . . I had forgotten, he told me once that you said so." And suddenly something added up in Ayeka's brain. "Is doing chores really that useful?"

"For a warrior, yes. Not only does it build his stamina, but it helps to avoid overconfidence and arrogance."

"But for other disciplines," Ayeka said as much to herself as to Yosho, "it might not be useful at all."

"True enough." Yosho answered. "The teacher must choose wisely."

"Thank you, elder brother." Ayeka gave a deep bow. "I apologize for my interference."

"It was well meant." he gave a lesser bow in acknowledgement.

Ayeka headed back down the shrine steps towards the house, turning over two things in her mind. _I wonder when he's finally going to stop that silly 'old man' disguise_? was the first thing she thought. A pulse came into her mind from her tiara. _Don't worry, Ryu-Oh, I haven't forgotten you told me that in confidence_, she sent back. A faint smile appeared on her face. Her tree and her brother's were such gossips.

But the second idea was far more important. Both times, her dreams had been about transforming Ryoko into something different. Ayeka was still convinced that everyone would be better off if Ryoko acted in a more civilized manner, and helped out more with the household chores. Now that she was Ryoko's teacher, even if in one subject and only for a part of the day, she had a certain amount of power over the ex-space-pirate. But it was a power too easy to misuse.

Her dreams had been a warning, Ayeka knew. She had to admit to herself that eventually she would have probed into Ryoko's memories, and tried to make her behave as she, Ayeka, saw fit instead of what Ryoko needed to be free of her past. But now Ayeka realized the risk of doing so. She just needed to resist the temptation.

Ayeka closed the front door behind her, took off her shoes, and put them neatly along the side wall next to Sasami's. She walked into the living room to return the broom to the closet, and then stopped as she looked upwards. Ryoko had clearly finished her part of the dishwashing. The ex-space-pirate was lying back on her favorite beam, a large pillow underneath her head, and a pot of tea ready to hand. If the phrase 'masterly inactivity' had needed a poster girl, Ryoko would have been the winning candidate, hands down.

Ryoko moved her head the barest amount necessary to look at Ayeka. "Hello, princess. I take it the broom-riding didn't go so well?"

Ayeka's fist tightened around the handle of the broom until the wood nearly cracked. Okay, some times the temptation was going to be pretty strong . . .

(To be continued . . .)

Author's note: The American Spiritual hymn "Go Down, Moses", has in fact become reasonably well known in karaoke bars in Asia.


	4. What's In Two Names

Disclaimer: Characters and concepts from "Tenchi Muyo!" were created by Kajishima Masaki and Hitoshi Okuda, and are Copyright AIC and Pioneer LDC. This work is a parody and not to be used for any commercial purposes.

**Personal History, Ch. 4**

"Thanks for meeting me here." Ryoko stretched out her legs and settled herself into a comfortable position on the roof.

Ayeka looked considerably less relaxed. "I can understand that you feel nervous around Funaho or the cave. But those of us who can't always fly are also nervous on top of the house."

"Actually, there's a second reason for my picking--" Ryoko began.

"Hi, girls!" Mihoshi's voice sounded behind the two. "Isn't that funny? I was just going to the kitchen to get some iced tea, and I found myself up here! But what are you two doing here?"

"I'm showing Ayeka the best way to catch the sun's rays." Ryoko cut in smoothly, before Ayeka could scold Mihoshi about private conversations. (She knew that it seldom did any good.) "The angle here on the roof is actually better than lying flat on the patio."

"Really?" inquired Mihoshi.

"Sure!" Ryoko answered. "You just have to lie back on the tiles like this . . ." She suited action to words.

"That does look relaxing." said Mihoshi, and she began to lie down next to Ryoko.

"Of course," added Ryoko, "you'll want to watch out for the spot I--"

"_Waaaa_---" Mihoshi yelled as she slid off the edge of the roof. There was a crash as the blonde landed on the patio below.

"--spilled suntan lotion." Ryoko finished.

"Shouldn't we see if Miss Mihoshi is all right?" Ayeka asked.

"She always is." Ryoko dismissed the subject, and gathered her thoughts for the main topic. "Ayeka . . . has it occurred to you that we've loathed each other even before we met Tenchi?"

"Yes, I have thought of that." Ayeka nodded. "We met under poor circumstances, after all. But I do acknowledge that you weren't there of your own free will."

"But you were." Ryoko turned to look towards the lake, but her eyes seemed to stare at something much further. "You were there of your own free will." She repeated, then seemed to change the subject. "Have you ever noticed that 'Azaka' and 'Kamidake' sound a little like 'Azusa' and 'Misaki'?"

"Well, no, I hadn't before." Ayeka sounded as perplexed as she looked.

Ryoko gave a thin smile. "Let me give you my side of that day . . ."

- - - - - - - -

Ryoko was an artist, painting a work of destruction. She had fought her way through Jurai's Home Defense Fleet, evading some ships and blasting others, and now she was raining chaos on the capital below. Fire and smoke erupted wherever she turned Ryo-Ohki's beams. She added another blast here, and a new one over there, to confuse the ground forces as much as possible and cause them to spread out instead of concentrating to protect her real target.

Ryoko laughed in triumph. It was almost a pity master Kagato had found a time when all the first and second generation tree-ships were away from Jurai. The way she felt now, she and Ryo-Ohki were ready to take on any ship in the Juraian Navy.

As if in answer to her thought, a pair of ships lifted off to challenge her. But they were no match for Ryo-Ohki. One was quickly disabled with a barrage of energy beams, and drifted off course. Feeling aggressive, Ryoko brought her ship around in a tight curve and rammed the second vessel with one of Ryo-Ohki's sharp outer projections. The Juraian ship split open and began to spiral down towards the city below. Ryoko gave another victory cackle and turned back towards her objective. She was just in time to see the first ship smash helplessly into the massive arboretum. If anyone was still inside, they would want to clear out after an impact like that, Ryoko thought. So much the better.

It was a moment later that Ryo-Ohki's sensors detected a third Juraian ship lifting off. Ryoko directed the scanners towards it, and was surprised by what she saw. The new ship was considerably bigger than the previous two, and the readings indicated much more power. There was likely a second-generation tree on board. But it didn't quite have the elegance of a Juraian Royal Tree-ship. The outer hull looked like it had been interrupted in several places, the smooth surfaces and beautiful curves broken up. Ryoko studied the readings again, and a moment later it made sense. The ship hadn't been completed yet. Much of the outer armor was still missing.

Ryoko snorted. The duel against a worthy opponent she was spoiling for was nowhere in sight. On a whim, she opened a channel, and sent her image and voice to the other ship. "Clear out of the way! Get your ship finished, and I'll kill you some other time."

In answer, a view-screen popped open, displaying a violet-haired girl in her mid-teens. The rage in her ruby eyes showed that Ryoko's taunt had hit a nerve. "It is for you to clear out, demon! Haven't you killed too many already?"

"Obviously not -- you're still alive." Ryoko recognized the face from the files on Jurai. This was Ayeka, the emperor's oldest daughter. Master Kagato's latest information was that she had been approved for the tree partnering ceremony. Evidently it had worked, but now the little brat would die because of it. Ryoko sent a salvo from Ryo-Ohki.

But the Juraian vessel had shifted course. Half of the beams missed. The remainder struck, causing explosions not as large as Ryoko wanted, and raising a cloud of smoke. A few moments later, Ayeka's ship emerged from the smoke, and replied with its own barrage. Ryo-Ohki yowled as two of the beams hit and staggered her. Her energy reserves went down somewhat, nothing major, but more than anything the rest of Jurai's defense forces had been able to do. Ryoko frowned. The power of even a second-generation tree was as formidable as Master Kagato had told her. Still no match for the combined power of herself and Ryo-Ohki, however. She let loose another salvo, and snarled in satisfaction as more of the beams struck home, sending gouts of flame up from the hull of the Juraian ship. The answering shots were fewer this time, and only one hit Ryo-Ohki, doing noticeably less damage. Ryoko fed the power from her gems into the crystals for moment to make up for Ryo-Ohki's energy loss, then triggered what should have been the killing blasts.

But some kind of energy construct appeared in front of the Juraian ship just as Ryo-Ohki fired. Three glowing blades flared into existence, and though they looked almost delicate to Ryoko, they stopped the searing energy beams without allowing so much as a scratch to the ship behind them. Ryoko stared open-mouthed for a heartbeat. So this was the power of the fabled Light Hawk Wings. Eyes narrowing, she maneuvered Ryo-Ohki to change the angle slightly and tried again. The glowing blades rotated in the blink of an eye, and again blocked the beams. Ryoko cursed as she realized something even more frustrating. The princess' earlier course change had put her ship between Ryo-Ohki and the arboretum. Now the little brat was actually threatening the success of her mission.

Ryoko banked Ryo-Ohki and flew in a wide arc, firing at anything that looked likely to draw the Juraian ship away from its position. Below, she spotted a large walled-off space with a rich array of plant life inside. Perhaps that was where the seedlings for the Royal Trees were tended, before they were transferred to the arboretum. She powered up Ryo-Ohki's weapons and unleashed a barrage which turned the enclosure into a scorched and smoking ruin.

"You monster!" Ayeka's face appeared again on the view-screen. If she had been angry before, she was livid with rage now. "That was the finest garden on Jurai! You're good for nothing but destruction, aren't you??"

There was something about that word that enraged Ryoko in turn. "Monster?? You know nothing about me -- about anything! Or you'd be running as fast as that junk-heap of a ship could carry you!" After all, it was Master Kagato's will that anyone and anything that got in her way be destroyed. If Master Kagato ordered her to protect something, she was sure she'd be equally good at that. It was just that he never did.

Where had that thought come from? Ryoko banished it and focused on how to eliminate the princess and her troublesome ship. It was time to try a dual approach. She mentally commanded Ryo-Ohki to continue firing, then teleported outside.

Using the buildings to cover her, Ryoko made her way towards the Juraian vessel. There was also a satisfying amount of smoke from the havoc she had caused. Ryoko sat for a moment on a parapet and chuckled to see her handiwork.

She resumed her flight towards her enemy. The last part had no cover, but Ryo-Ohki was doing a good job of keeping the Juraian ship busy. With an extra burst of speed, Ryoko covered the remaining distance, dodging the single beam cannon able to fire at her. She could have phased through the hull, but she was here to do maximum damage. Her energy sword flared to life, and she began attacking the ship. Guns, thrusters, sensors, and even power cables where she could sense them beneath the outer skin were hacked to pieces. With her other hand, she fired blasts of energy wherever a hole opened up. The ship slowly began to tilt as its systems took more damage than the self-repair network could handle. Ryoko sent a mental command to Ryo-Ohki, telling her to cease fire. It was time for the finishing blow.

Ryoko maneuvered just above the outer hull, and as she had expected, easily spotted the rounded inner shell housing the Royal Tree. The armor over that part had been completed, and a quick probe revealed it was also shielded against phasing or teleporting. But Ryoko was not to be denied. She plunged her energy sword through the plating and began cutting a large circle. When she was about three-quarters done she willed away her sword, gathered power from her gems, and blasted the circle open. No sense wasting time.

Going through the smoking hole, she found a large open area being used as the ship's bridge. It had been an elegantly designed space, with foliage and running water to suggest the outdoors. Now, it showed considerable damage from Ryoko's blast. Small fires were burning in two places, dents showed in the back wall and floor, and water or coolant was running out of ruptured piping. But towards the forward end of the bridge, Ryoko saw that the brat-princess was on her feet and unhurt -- for the moment.

Ayeka opened her mouth just as a weakened pillar collapsed off to one side. "Az--" The remainder of the two names were hard to make out, but Ryoko remembered that Emperor Azusa and Second Queen Misaki were her parents.

"Mommy and daddy can't help you any more." Ryoko began to gather energy, so the girl could see it. She should learn just how foolish she had been.

But Ryoko had forgotten that it was still possible to teleport within the unit's shields. Two wooden cylinders appeared between Ryoko and her target. She began to switch from attack to shielding, but the cybernetic guardians were even faster than she was. The world seemed to erupt into searing energy. She had the sensation of being hit by an express train from the front, and a few moments later, from behind.

Slowly her vision and hearing returned. She was outside, lying on broken pavement. She must have been blasted back out of the Juraian ship though the opening she had made, and then fallen to the ground below. A number of her bones were broken, and her regenerative abilities were dealing with those along with many other injuries. She felt a glimmer of pride at knowing she was one of a very few who could have survived a double blast from Jurai Guardians. But the next moment it was replaced by rage. Several of her internal organs were injured -- it would probably be hours before she could teleport or summon spirits again. And recovering to full strength would take much longer. She got up, wincing as the last of her bones knitted. That princess was going to think Hell was a five-star resort by comparison when she got through with her.

The Juraian ship was still aloft, but drifting lower by the minute. They must be looking for a place to set down. Well, at least Ryoko had cleared the way to the Royal Arboretum. Payback for the princess would have to wait. Master Kagato wanted the First Tree.

But Ryoko would not reach either goal. "Stand where you are, demon!" Came a shout. Running towards her was a young man, dressed richly and with long straight hair in the Juraian style. This must be Crown Prince Yosho -- he had no beard, but the resemblance to Emperor Azusa was easy to see. He was good-looking enough, though Ryoko thought that if his face had been rounder and fuller she would have found him really attractive. But just at that moment the most important thing about Pretty Boy was that he held an energy sword.

With an effort, Ryoko activated her own blade. She could feel the strain as power ran through her still-healing tissues. She set her stance, and engaged as Pretty Boy charged in. But in moments she realized she faced the finest swordsman she had ever met. His strikes were fast and fluid, probing the weak spots of her defense, but always returning in time to block any attack she could make. And his balance and coordination were extraordinary. He somehow found sure footing on any piece of fallen rubble that Ryoko tried to maneuver behind. His sword was no ordinary energy-blade either. Ryoko remembered that Yosho wielded the _Tenchi-Ken_, the sword of Heaven and Earth.

There was a loud crash as the princess' ship made a hard landing a few blocks away. Ryoko seized the moment to launch an attack, raining cuts and thrusts with all the strength she could muster. Somehow, Pretty Boy parried each one with a strength matching her own.

The fifth strike was aimed at his thigh, and his block put his sword low, leaving his head open. Ryoko whirled her blade around, trying to behead him. But in a lightning-fast maneuver, Pretty Boy ducked and brought his sword up and out, taking Ryoko's hand off at the wrist.

And then the duel came to a sudden halt. Ryoko's sword had blinked out of existence, but the gem that had been in her wrist was now somehow floating within the energy blade of Yosho's sword. It shouldn't have been possible. Any material object should have been immediately vaporized. But there it was. Ryoko and her opponent stared transfixed, each sensing they where witnessing something that had never happened before in the history of the universe.

The gem moved downwards towards the sword hilt. When it reached the end of the glowing blade, it seemed to vanish. A moment later, it emerged from the material of the hilt, just below where the prince gripped his sword. And there it stayed, looking just as if it had been inlaid in the sword hilt from the time the sword had first been made.

"That's . . . mine." Ryoko finally reacted, pointing with her intact hand. "It doesn't belong to you. Give it back!"

"And who are you to care about what belongs to anyone?" The prince demanded.

"But . . ." And Ryoko realized she had no good answer. All the things she had taken, she had taken because Master Kagato wanted them. And she had to obey Master Kagato, didn't she? Or -- did she?

The thought was interrupted by even more bad news. A yowl of pain from Ryo-Ohki came over the link they shared. Ryoko looked up, to see another Juraian tree-ship heading to protect the arboretum, and firing as it came.

And this was a fully finished vessel. The outer armor was all there, fitting into the elegant lines that made the ship look like a giant floating abstract sculpture. Worse, Ryo-Ohki had taken more damage from the salvo than even the brat-princess' second-generation ship had done: her main batteries were crippled. Ryoko remembered that Pretty Boy had partnered with a first-generation tree, which he had named after his mother. Ryo-Ohki stood little chance against that kind of power unless Ryoko could get back on board and restore the energy reserves.

Could she fly yet? One way to find out. Ryoko lifted herself, once again feeling the strain from her regenerating body. But it worked, and she still had the gem on her left wrist that linked her with Ryo-Ohki. She summoned her ship, telling her to disengage from the fight and fly to a rendezvous point low among the buildings of the city. That should keep that accursed first-generation ship from following too closely.

A nerve-wracking minute later, Ryoko was back aboard Ryo-Ohki. She put her left hand on one of the floating red crystals and began to feed power back into her ship. The long-range sensors began to pick up more Juraian ships regrouping from the outer fringes of the star system and coming to the support of the capital. A second round against that first-generation Juraian battleship would be against increasing odds. More, the lower view-screen showed the Jurai ground forces converging towards her, with a couple of sizeable energy cannons on hover-pads among them. Ryoko could even see that Pretty Boy was still chasing after her, brandishing the _Tenchi-ken_ and shouting what were no doubt insults. A distance behind him was the brat-princess, now out of her ship and apparently crying not to be left behind.

It was time to clear out of Jurai. But where to go? Ryoko shuddered at the thought of having to report to Master Kagato that she had not only failed to get the First Tree, but had lost one of the irreplaceable gems. If she could just lure Pretty Boy somewhere and ambush him, then get the gem back, she would be in much better shape. More, the _Tenchi-ken_ would make a fair consolation prize. There were rumors that it was even more than a key for the prince's first-generation tree, and Ryoko had seen for herself it had at least one additional power.

Ryoko hastily searched the files on Crown Prince Yosho. He was only half Juraian: Queen Funaho had been born on one of those colonized back-water planets the Juraian Empire controlled. That was it! Pretty Boy would never ignore a threat to his mother's homeworld. And they had no technology that would pose a problem to her; Pretty Boy would be fighting alone. Ryoko found the coordinates and gave Ryo-Ohki her orders: best speed to Juraian colonized planet number 0315. What did the natives call it -- "Ground"? No, wait -- "Earth".

- - - - - - - -

"I blame you, Ayeka." Ryoko said quietly. "Yosho did what he had trained to do, and he did it well. But he wouldn't have got my gem -- in fact he wouldn't even have arrived in time -- if you hadn't jumped in where you didn't belong. Your ship wasn't ready, and neither were you." Ryoko glanced at Ayeka, expecting a protest, but the princess simply nodded. "It's funny," Ryoko continued, "when you think about it, things could hardly have worked out better for me. I met Tenchi, and Kagato is gone for good. Of course, you're here, but that's a reasonable price to pay."

"I'm not sure whether to take offense at being a drawback, or not being enough of one." Ayeka said wryly.

"But still," Ryoko ignored the comment, "it would have been the greatest robbery in the history of the galaxy. Maybe even in the history of the universe. And you ruined it. Do you know, for most of that time in the cave, I hated you most of all? For doing something so bone-headed. I mean, how could you not realize you were outmatched?"

"But I did realize it." Ayeka said.

Ryoko looked skeptical. "You'd gotten tired of the rich princess thing?"

"No," Ayeka replied, "but I had to go against you anyway." Ryoko's skepticism remained. "Suppose for a moment," Ayeka continued, "that Sasami wanted to go somewhere, and you had promised Tenchi you would protect her. Then suppose some tremendously powerful being, one you had no real chance against, attacked her. Would you flee, and abandon Sasami?"

"Never." Ryoko answered without a flicker of hesitation.

"Especially not after promising Tenchi?" Ayeka asked.

"That's right." Ryoko agreed.

"Yosho was my big brother, my fiancé -- and my hero. Ready or not, Ryu-Oh was the only second-generation ship there. I could not face my brother as a coward. Whatever the cost." Ayeka finshed.

"When you put it that way . . ." Ryoko digested this for several moments. "All right. From now on, you're not a moron, even if you're still an egotistical, snooty, pampered princess." She held out her hand.

"And you're not a parasite, even if you're still a sloppy, drunken barbarian." Ayeka returned. She took the outstretched hand, and they shook.

"Mind you, Tenchi will be mine eventually." Ryoko said confidently.

"I think not, Miss Ryoko." Ayeka's voice had no less confidence in it. "He has a destiny as a prince of Jurai."

"Prince, nothing!" Ryoko waved dismissively. "I'm the one he cares about. You can hear it in his voice."

And just at that moment Tenchi's voice sounded from the patio below them. "Mihoshi? What's going on? Why are you lying on the patio deck?"

"Oh . . ." came Mihoshi's voice in answer. "Let me see. That's right, I fell off the roof."

"You fell off --" Tenchi stopped himself. "Let me look. Yes, you've got a good-sized bump on your head. Come on, let me get you inside."

"I think I can manage -- oops, maybe I am a little dizzy." Mihoshi stumbled as she was getting up.

"Here, put your arm over my shoulder," Tenchi suggested kindly. "Once we're inside, you can lie down on the couch, and I'll get a cold cloth for your head."

"Well, all right." Mihoshi agreed readily enough, and put her arm over Tenchi as suggested. "You're being very thoughtful, Tenchi. Thank you." She was now close enough to him to stare deeply into his eyes.

"Oh, it's no trouble." Tenchi slipped his own arm around her waist to steady her. "You know, my schoolmates used to boast about who would be the first to hold a blonde in his arms." Neither he nor Mihoshi heard the sound of grinding teeth from the roof.

"Do you really like blonde hair?" Mihoshi asked as they made their way into the house.

"Who doesn't?" Tenchi replied, just before the door closed behind them.

And Ryoko and Ayeka turned to each other and simultaneously growled, "How does she DO that?!"

T h e E n d

Author's afterword: The flashback to Ryoko's raid on Jurai is based on scenes from the OVA, and also some of the ideas from the True Tenchi novels. If there are differences from the novels, I claim artistic license.


End file.
